7 Reasons You Need to Mobilize Your Business
There are a lot of new marketing strategies formulated every day in an attempt to penetrate into the public’s interests. One of the most effective, cutting-edge marketing methods being used today is mobile marketing. Thanks to the overwhelmingly popular cell phone, businesses can no longer ignore the importance of a mobile-friendly presence if they really want to reach their target audiences.
Mobile marketing encompasses many different types of marketing techniques and strategies that help businesses increase profits and ROI. The most popular forms of mobile marketing today are: mobile-friendly websites, SMS text message marketing, and QR (Quick Response) codes.
You may be wondering why everyone is hopping on the mobile marketing bandwagon…
This should help clear it up:
1. Consumers are using their mobile devices to access the Internet more than ever before – and it’s expected to grow at astonishing rates over the next few years. If your business is not using mobile methods to attract leads and customers, you are simply missing out on business.
2. There are approximately 4 BILLION mobile subscribers across the world. This means that you can target pretty much anyone using mobile methods.
3. Most mobile device users keep their phones within arm’s reach over 90 percent of the time. So if you use SMS Text Message Marketing, most of your messages will be opened and read by your recipients. This leads to higher promotional redemption rates, which leads to more sales, which leads to more profits.
4. Americans today are spending an average of three hours per day on the Internet from their mobile devices. Your business should have the proper mobile presence if you want to get a piece of this action.
5. In 2009, approximately half a BILLION people went online using their mobile device. This number is expected to double within the next 5 years. It’s not too late to implement mobile marketing techniques in your business. This technology is still in its infancy and if you jump onboard now, your chance of success will be much greater.
6. By 2014, mobile Internet usage is expected to exceed desktop Internet usage. This means that reaching your audience via mobile methods will be even more crucial if you want to beat your competition.
7. According to Facebook official statistics from January 2011, more than 200 million users (out of over 600 million Facebook users) access Facebook using their mobile devices; also, mobile Facebook users are twice as active as non-mobile users. Facebook has over 600 million active users, so that means that 1/3 of them are using their mobile devices to access Facebook!
These facts indicate the serious impact that mobilizing your business will have on your sales, profits, and ROI over the coming months and years.
Why Your Business MUST Have a Mobile Website
Times are tough these days when it comes to getting dong more deals. Real Estate Investors are forced to utilize strategies that can reach their potential customers both easily and affordably. With the amazing popularity of mobile phone devices, you cannot afford to overlook mobile marketing techniques and strategies. For instance, most mobile phone users now use their phones to surf the web. However, most businesses still do not have a “mobile-friendly” website.
Traditional websites are built to be viewed on a computer screen instead of a small mobile phone screen. So viewing a traditional website that has not been “mobilized” on a mobile phone is almost impossible. You have to scroll all over the place just to find the information you’re looking for due to the limited space.
In fact, most “non-mobilized” websites don’t even load at all on mobile devices. Most people use their smart phones to search for local businesses while out on the go. As soon as they hit a website that they can’t navigate or use, they quickly exit the site and move on. Can you start to see how you are missing out on some SERIOUS business by not having mobile-friendly websites?
Here are a few other reasons your business MUST have a mobile website:
1. Portability and Accessibility
Compared to a desktop or a laptop, mobile phones can be taken anywhere people go at any time of the day or night. In fact, most people keep their cell phones within reach at all times. Not only that, but people are using them more than ever to surf the web. If you want to get noticed easily and maintain the proper mobile presence, a mobile website is the perfect place to start.
2. Mobile Search
Most smart phones today are equipped with applications that assist in convenient online search resources such as Google! Your business can easily be found when people search for products or services such as yours from their mobile devices. However, that visibility is useless if they click to get to your website and can’t find the information they need because your website won’t display properly on their phone.
3. Localization
Mobilizing your website is the perfect way to help your local customers find you. Mobile websites have to be smaller than traditional websites, which means you have to limit the amount of content you put on them. So it’s important to only put the information your visitors need while visiting your website from their mobile devices. Most people on the go are looking for your phone number, directions to your establishment, or your services list. So make sure these things are readily available and easily accessible on your mobile website. Mobile websites can drastically increase the number of potential customers who are exposed to your business without spending a bunch of extra money on advertising.
4 Mobile Website Tips
New and advanced technologies are paving the way in terms of businesses and commerce growth. New and improved digital platforms are being created every day to help businesses reach out to their target market and generate more sales.
If you think digital technologies have advanced at lightning speeds over the past decade, wait until you see what’s in store over the coming months and years. Recent research shows that digital media and technology is expected to grow at even faster rates in the next few years.
One of the main forms of digital growth being seen today is mobile device usage. Everyone uses their mobile phones every single day – several times per day. But mobile phones are no longer just for making phone calls. In fact, people are spending more time surfing the web via their mobile devices today than ever before.
While on the go, people tend to look for local business information right from their mobile devices. This means they are looking at mobile websites. Unfortunately, most businesses do not have a mobile-friendly website yet. In fact, many of them are not even aware that their websites are almost impossible to view on most mobile devices.
Here are a few tips to help you think about how to start mobilizing your web presence:
1. Check for Mobile Plug-ins
– If your website /blog is a Content Management System like WordPress, check out some of the mobile plug-ins that may be available to mobilize your website. Plug-ins have to be configured correctly in order to work so use caution if you are doing it yourself.
2. Create a Separate Mobile Version of Your Website
– If you have an HTML website, it’s best to have a mobile version of your website built. This way, whenever someone tries to go to your website from a mobile device, they will be directed to the mobile version instead of your main website. This will allow them to have a pleasant experience and find exactly what they need without a bunch of hassle.
3. Don’t Use Flash on Your Mobile Website
– As much as possible, avoid using flash application on your mobile website as it isn’t supported by most mobile settings. In addition, flash makes your website take forever to load, which makes the viewer leave the site out of frustration. So if you want to attract visitors to your website, don’t do flash.
4. Only Include Important on Your Mobile Website
– Since mobile phone screens are relatively smaller compared to a computer, you can only put so much information on a mobile website. Therefore, think about what your potential customers would be looking for when they visit your website on their mobile devices. Most people who are “on-the-go” are usually looking for a phone number, hours of operation, or an directions to your establishment. So make sure information such as this is readily available on your mobile website.
Benefits of SMS Text Message Marketing
One of the most popular forms of mobile marketing is SMS Text Message Marketing. SMS text message marketing allows you to communicate directly to your target market by sending a simple, quick text message. This permission-based program is perfect because your recipients have opted-in to receive your messages. It’s effective because they WANT to receive your promotions.
Another great thing about SMS text message marketing is the deliverability of the message. Almost all text messages are read within minutes of receiving them. In fact, recent studies show that 97% of text messages are read within minutes of receiving them. So this is the perfect way to get your promotions across to your target market.
SMS text message marketing is also more time-efficient compared to traditional advertising methods. Text messages have to be short due to character limitations, so putting together your marketing message takes just a few minutes instead of days and weeks to prepare.
SMS text message marketing is also highly trackable. You have the advantage of monitoring and finding out what happens with each message you send out. In other words, you can track down your campaigns to evaluate many metrics such as how many people viewed your message.
Can you do that with any newspaper, TV, or radio ad? Nope.
Business owners have many different marketing strategies available to them today. However, not all of them are as effective and profitable as a SMS text message marketing campaign. As long as everything is set-up well and you are taking good care of your list, your business can bring in a lot more money and leds.
3 Things your Text Messages MUST Have
Just like other marketing strategies, text message marketing also needs to be properly planned and place basic things so that possible consumers can easily grasp what you are trying to sell. From the word “Short” in short message service or SMS, it means that message should be concise and straightforward. Ideally, it only needs 160 characters as this is the limit for most text messages. The trick is to get all of the important components of a profitable text message into this small space.
Here are a few things all of your text messages should include:
1. The Name of Your Business
Obviously, displaying the name of your business lets people know who you are as a company. People like to know who they are receiving text messages from, so be sure to give them that information every single time. This will put them at ease as they know exactly why they are receiving the message.
There are two ways to do this:
a. Put your company’s name as the sender. However, the drawback of this type is that customers are given an option to reply with questions since there’s no phone number present.
b. Provide your business number as the sender. However, don’t forget to put the name of your business in the body of the message.
2. Give Them the Option to Opt-Out
The good thing about SMS Text Message marketing is that people opt-in to your list, which means they WANT to receive your messages. However, there should be an easy way to opt-out of the list if someone wants to do so. Knowing that they have an easy option to opt-out makes a lot of people feel more at ease when it comes to opting-in to your list. At the end of each text message, make sure there is an option available for members of your list to opt-out if they choose to do so.
3. Incorporate a Call-to-Action
In your SMS, be sure to tell people what you want them to do. If you don’t tell them to do it, most won’t. For instance, if you want them to bring the coupon into your business to redeem it, tell them that in the text message so there’s no misunderstanding about how they can redeem it.
5 SMS Text Message Marketing Etiquette Tips
Millions of people use mobile phones for communication ever day. In fact, more people are using text messaging than phone calls via their mobile devices. Mobile phones are one of the most essential gadgets and a necessity to most people – especially in line of business. Because of that, marketing strategies involving mobile promotion have been utilized by many businesses to reach out to potential customers – including SMS text message marketing.
However, in order for SMS text marketing to be effective, you have to be careful about how you use it. Similar to other marketing strategies, mobile marketing also needs to be thoroughly planned out in order to get the best return on your investment. The way you use SMS text marketing in your business greatly impacts the outcome of your goals.
Your etiquette and creativity in mobile promotion of your business affects the amount of attention you will get from people. The response you get from people depends on how well you present your products and services to them.
The following are a few SMS Text Message Marketing etiquette tips that will help:
1. Be straightforward
Beating around the bush of what you are trying to say will confuse people, which means they won’t comprehend your message. Be clear about your message. If you want them to take some type of action, tell them exactly what you want them to do and there’s a better chance of them actually doing it.
2. Use proper language
Language is one most important aspects of effective communication. Do not use offensive and foul words in relaying SMS promotion. Choose your words carefully.
3. Be honest
Don’t use exaggerated claims or out-right “untruths” when using SMS text message marketing. The last thing you want is a bad reputation for your business so keep your text messages 100% honest.
4. Be polite and courteous
One way of getting customers is through courtesy and politeness. When people are pleased with the way you interact with them via text messaging, they will stay on your list a lot longer. If they sense one bit of rudeness, they won’t hesitate to opt-out of your list.
5. Provide free information
Don’t constantly send text messages about promotional offers. Every now and then, send your list some free tips that they would find useful. You’d be surprised at the level of customer-loyalty that is created just by giving out free information regarding your industry.
SMS Text Message Marketing Mistakes
If you are looking to build a massive list of buyers who will buy from you over and over again, here are a few SMS Text Message Marketing mistakes you should avoid:
Mistake # 1: No Call to Action
No matter how great your business is, you are still missing out on opportunities to get leads if your mobile promotions do not include a call to action. Make people aware of your mobile presence on all of your marketing materials. Most importantly, tell people to join your mobile list if you can provide something of value for free. If you don’t tell them to join, most won’t.
Mistake # 2: Sending Out Too Many Text
Though sending text frequently can get your customers’ attention, it is annoying which may lead to some customers unsubscribing from your list. Also, sending offers frequently can have a negative impact. Text weekly or twice a month is more effective.
QR Code Markting
QR codes (Quick Response codes) are two-dimensional codes that can be read by QR barcode readers on mobile devices. QR codes appear as black modules put into a specific order in a square – like model in a white background. QR codes contain information about your business in text or URL link.
QR codes are embedded with data and information that can be immediately exposed with just one click of a mobile phone. You can use QR codes to promote to build a mobile list of subscribers. They can also be used to direct people to your website, online video, or Facebook Fan page. The possibilities are unlimited.
The QR code provides one less step to getting people to your site. You have the visuals with the sign and then it connects you to you. People have an insatiable appetite for information, and you can give them many pieces of information at one time such as videos, pictures and contact information.
Big companies today are using the power of QR Codes as part of their marketing strategy. Quick response codes (QR codes) were first utilized in Japan used in tracking down parts of their automobile during manufacturing. Today, the QR codes are gaining popularity all over the world. QR codes are patterned codes in arranged in squares generally with a white background.
How To Create A QR Code
The first thing you have to think about is how to create one. There are two options, each has it’s pro’s and cons. QR Codes can be generated for free or also by using a paid service.
The process for free QR Codes is fairy easy, you enter the web address of a mobile friendly page containing the information you’d like to display, and the program generates a QR Code for your site. You save the image file and use it wherever you’d like. The downside is that the code is always linked to that specific page. This technique isn’t recommended for places where the linked information will need to be changed (like property signs). The free methods also require you to have your own mobile friendly page.
Paid QR Code alternatives generally offer more flexibility. You can reuse a QR Code, and change where it points to, or change the content of the mobile page. Some of these paid versions allow you to easily create a mobile friendly webpage (without requiring you to be a web developer). The paid versions generally also offer an easy way to track how many people are scanning your codes.
QR codes have an undeniable wow factor, and they are a user-friendly way to get people to your website. The massive growth of the mobile web and its growing importance for real estate investors is to have visibility. The tactics how you get a mobile audience to your site are many and we see QR Codes being a leading method to accomplish this objective.
There are some inexpensive services such as Clikbrix.com that can track how many hits you get from these codes. You can put these QR codes on your business cards, real estate signs, or even on your car. Mobile prospects can simply snap a shot of your code with their smart phone, which immediately takes them to your website where they can find all the details of the houses you have for sale.
When using QR codes, keep the following rules in mind:
• Never create a QR code that points to someone else’s content.
• Be sure to scan the code yourself so you can see what others will see
• Use a QR code that you can change after publishing.
• Make certain the code is large enough to scan.
It’s still very new technology for the real estate industry and not everybody knows what QR codes are. You have to explain it to them. Put under the sign ” Scan this code for more information”
The choice comes down to free but limited or paid and flexible. You’ll ultimately need to weigh the pros and cons for each method and decide which works best for your needs.
What are the potential uses for QR Codes?
Listed below are examples of how to use QR codes effectively to help your business:
Include on All Printed Material
QR codes are great for branding your business and creating awareness. You’ve probably noticed that more and more businesses are using QR codes on their flyers, postcards, billboards, t-shirts, coffee mugs… pretty much all of their marketing materials. The powerful idea behind this is that once the user scans the QR code, they can instantly gain access to whatever information you want them to have.
No Reprints
QR codes do not require re – printing of your marketing material thus reducing your printing expenses. People can simply click on the QR codes provided to view information they need about your houses. They can click the code anytime they want to retrieve the information.
Build Excitement
Providing QR codes increases excitement because people are curious about what information is hiding behind your QR code. Now, they can instantly retrieve the information embedded in your QR codes. Clicking those codes facilitates feeling of thrill and instant gratification, which is great for business.
Business Cards:
QR Codes can be effective on business cards. These can direct scanners to a list of all your properties, your Facebook or LinkedIn page or a short video of you explaining what you do. There are a lot of possibilities, and it pays to be creative with it. Make sure to keep your audience in mind. Who do you give your cards to? What additional information would you like to make easily available to them?
Prompt Response
From the name itself “quick”, your clients do not have to wait long for additional information about the product. No longer do they have to wait until they get home to look at your website to get the information they want. QR codes facilitate immediate access to information about your business, products, and services. Relevant facts acquired from QR codes facilitate convenience for the end-user when it comes to getting more information about your business or offer. You can also use QR codes to conduct surveys and customer feedback about your product or service. Although they are still considered “new” technology, QR codes are quickly gaining popularity across the world when it comes to promoting, branding, and marketing businesses.
Social Platforms
Due to the popularity of social media, your QR codes can be attached to your web pages or social media profiles such as Facebook. That way, users can scan through the code and be directed to the information you want to get across.
Press Releases
Online press releases are one of the best ways to gain online visibility for your business. However, this visibility is intensified with inclusion of QR codes in your press releases. After being intrigued to learn more about your business after reading your press release, the viewer can simply scan your QR code with their mobile device to be taken to your website for more information.
Property Signs:
This is a good first place to start with QR Codes. The code can point to a mobile website with additional information about the property. Adding options to share the information via email (this is included on several of the paid QR Code generators) and a contact form to collect prospective buyers contact information are great options to include. Including images of the house, or a property walk through video can be effective as well. Walk through videos don’t need to be fancy. Many Real Estate professionals find it easy enough to shoot video on their cell phone or an inexpensive Flip cam. These codes allow you to provide additional property information to anyone who happens to pass by.
Property Profiles :
You’re likely already passing out property information to people who visit your properties. This is a great place to add QR Codes to provide even more information. The code can point to a photo tour of the house or give them an easy way to share property info. In general, the use case here is very similar to how you’d use QR Codes for property signs. The key is to figure out what additional information would be valuable to prospective buyers and give them that. Different information works best for different property types. It pays to think through what information a prospective buyer wants. Put yourself in their shoes and use that insight to create an informative mobile page linked to a QR Code on your sales literature.
If you are thinking of getting started with mobile marketing, QR Codes make getting started easy. The possibilities are endless!
Mobile Marketing is definitely the way of the future when it comes to effective marketing strategies.